Tent-fort

 It turns out that tent-forts are just as fun as I remembered them. I helped the girls build their first one today, and they were completely transported by it. I totally remember that feeling from when I was little, that inside the fort was like a complete other place, like my own house in my own world. We built a lot of forts in the Malone household. And the other thing that I vaguely remembered about forts that turned out to be right was that they create a giant mess entirely disproportional to their small size. The thing is, since being in a tent-fort makes everything special and fun, you have to bring absolutely everything you normally play with into the fort to play with, and make it special and magical too. We had babies, blankies, a picnic from the play kitchen, plastic animals, stuffed animals, furniture (besides the furniture supporting the tent) and legos, among other things, in there. What a mess, but totally worth it. (The mess was only just beginning when these photos were taken.)

Sweet little sisters

No regrets

We went to a street party at Bull City Burgers on Saturday. I guess it was an Oktoberfest or something, I don't know. Paul was going on a dude outing and us ladies were not invited, but then his friend's girlfriend came, so we got a call and were given permission to join as well. But it was fun! They had music and sidewalk chalk and a bouncy house. And tattoos. Ella was really excited when she saw a table where people were dipping sponges in water and squeezing it out on their arms, legs, etc. She wanted to get in on that and having a tattoo was the way to do it. Once she saw what was on her arm, she wanted Daddy to have one. Then Nora. So I had to, too. I mean that's the rule right, if everyone else is getting a tattoo . . . ? That's what I wanted the girls to take away from the experience. So I went along with it. And here we are, a rough and tough Bull City Burger posse.

Delicious secrets

There are so many funny and sweet things Ella says these days, but one of my favorite running topics is her chatter about about "secrets." I think she got this from one time when I had snuck a package of fruit snacks and was eating them surreptitiously, but she caught me. I told her they were secret mommy snacks, and she didn't ask any more questions. That's the only basis I can think of for how she has determined that these little pretend boxes of food that came with our grocery cart from  the British Malones (thanks guys! we love it!) are full of secrets. She loves to pretend to eat the secrets and tells me they are really big secrets, chocolate secrets, or even ones with pink sparkles. She always makes sure Nora and I both have boxes to eat along with her, and has convinced Nora that secrets are delicious too. They both love to snack on them. It is pretty hilarious. Of course I am trying to keep the game going. But we are all enjoying it. Who doesn't love a good secret?

Orange!

This morning Ella came in from her room saying, "four, oh, six, seven, oh, eight, oh, weven, twelve." I looked at her, trying to figure out what she was saying and Paul explained that he had been trying to teach her how old she would be on her next birthday. "How old will you be on your birthday?" he asked. Ella replied with happy confidence, "Orange!" Nailed it. : )

Super Ella!

 Ella has been really into finding and wearing hats again lately--as fashion statements, not just as in funny hat. This morning she put this one on, inside out and backwards (it is this giant-brim bonnet, actually ADORABLE the right way), and decided to wear it to breakfast. We soon found out this one was chosen for a reason even more important than fashion, though. As we got to the bottom of the stairs, she held on to her hat and ran off with "My super-Ella!" (Ella says "My" instead of "I'm"). Super Ella indeed!

While I was chopping meat for dinner,

Ella was busy serving herself. This is a pile of ketchup. It is the reason I normally like to wait 'til Paul is home before I get raw meat all over my hands.

Blue sprinkles

Ring around the leader

It's ring around the rosy meets follow the leader! Excellent innovation girls!

Familyness

 I mentioned we had a great time when Paul's family came to visit us last month. And then we had another great time when we went down to Florida to visit my family. Seriously, they were just precious times of being together with people who we love and don't see enough. Maybe the just family-ness of being together made me not think to take pictures? Or maybe it was the craziness? (As my sis-in-law reminded me, you know you are a SAHM when a family vacation feels like work, and a trip to Target alone feels like a vacation. ; ) ) Anyway, I do have a few little reminder photos of our times here and there.

Oh how we love the pink tutu dresses. The only thing better than my two little babes in pink tutu dresses, is my little babes plus their baby cousin in pink tutu dresses. : ) And dancing, at that. : )

In Florida we did a lot of fun things too, but one well photographed fun activity was making hats out of foil and pipe cleaners with my mom. I get the play cafe thing honestly! My mom was a preschool teacher and has such a knack for having fun with small ones.

Also, here is my new sis-in-law, Liz! Hi Liz!

And here is a photo of my children covered in spaghetti sauce, half naked, playing with rocks outside of Olive Garden in some random town we drove through on the way home. It was a long drive folks, and we started to forget to act right by dinner time. But the beauty of it is that no one who looked at us amusedly, but pityingly, will ever see us again! : )

12 months of Nora!

I've been meaning to post this for a while. Nora is actually closing in on 14 months now! Yikes! What a wild summer we have had, in other words, a normal summer. : ) Anyway, here is our sweet baby Nora through her first year. Sighhhhh. It goes so fast!

A few days old

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

Seven months

Eight months

Nine months

Ten months

Eleven months

One year old!

Summer vacation

There's something about summer fun stuff that just makes you forget about regular things like blogging. We had a great time with almost Paul's entire family in town last week and we hardly sat still for a minute. I will have some photos up soon with some of our adventures. But for now let's just say it was a ton of fun! Ella has been asking for her cousins a lot since they left. And next week we are off to Florida to see my family. Oh, and opening a play cafe meanwhile. : ) I was talking to my Dad today about how we both thrive when life is crazy and we have 5 things to do at once, with a cup of coffee in hand. Here's hoping I can squeeze in more blogging in the craziness to come!

She knows how to celebrate!

While I was enjoying my first giddy 15 minutes of realizing that we actually did it! Ella decided to take a naked celebratory boat ride in our laundry basket. I somehow (head spinning) missed that this was happening until I found her climbing in, completely disrobed.

It made me laugh extra hard and I spent the next 10 minutes chasing her in circles around the house with Nora giggling in my arms, before I could get her dressed again. It was a great way to celebrate!

Stay & Play Snack Cafe

Hi! Sorry its been so long again.

I've hinted at this project I've been working on, and really it is almost done in one sense, but here let me show you . . .

I'm trying to start a play cafe! What is that, you ask? And where, and when, and why, etc? There are a lot of details if you just follow this link. I haven't posted about it here yet because this is pretty much a family blog, but I finally decided, you know, this is going on with our family, and our whole family will certainly be involved going forward if we can get it up and running. So anyway, there it is! What do you think?

Carousel

We have an old carousel at our old mall in Durham. And I found out that if you give the operators your address, they send you a ticket for a free ride for you (your kiddo) and up to 9 people on your birthday. We took Nora for her birthday ride last weekend, and we should have gotten some more people to go with us, because it was reallly fun! 

There was a moment when the girls were not sure about it.

Really it could have gone either way . . .

But once they got the hang of it . . . weeeeeeee!

What a fun birthday thing to do! I can't wait 'til it's my child's birthday again.Or, hey Durham friends, why don't you sign up and bring us along as part of your 9 sometime even sooner!

A bowl of water

Today we put a bowl of water on the porch with some cups and bowls. Boy was it a good time!

Moves

Didn't take long to progress from walking to grooving.